Sunday, December 04, 2011

Growing global anti-Semitism is linked to Israel’s policy towards the Palestinians, the American ambassador to Belgium told stunned Jewish conference attendants in Brussels earlier this week.

Speaking Wednesday at a Jewish conference on anti-Semitism organized by the European Jewish Union (EJU,) Howard Gutman told participants he was apologizing in advance if his words are not to their liking. He then proceeded to make controversial statements about his views on Muslim anti-Semitism, Yedioth Ahronoth reported Friday.

A distinction should be made between traditional anti-Semitism, which should be condemned and Muslim hatred for Jews, which stems from the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, Gutman said. He also argued that an Israeli-Palestinian peace treaty will significantly diminish Muslim anti-Semitism.

The American envoy, a lawyer by training, is Jewish and played a major role in fundraising for the Democratic Party. He was appointed to the post by President Barack Obama.

The next speaker took Gutman to task:

The conference was attended by Jewish lawyers from across Europe. The legal experts at the event were visibly stunned by Gutman’s words, and the next speaker offered a scathing rebuttal to the envoy’s remarks.

“The modern Anti-Semite formally condemns Anti-Semitism and the Holocaust and expresses upmost sympathy with the Jewish people. He simply has created a new species, the “Anti-Zionist” or – even more sophisticated – the so-called ‘Israel critic,’” Germany attorney Nathan Gelbart said.

“The ‘Israel critic’ will never state ‘Jews go home’ but is questioning the legality of the incorporation of the State of Israel and therefore the right for the Jewish people to settle in their homeland. He will not say the Jews are the evil of the world but claim that the State of Israel is a major cause for instability and war in the region,” he said. “There is no other country, no other people on this planet the ‘Israel critic’ would dedicate so much time and devotion as to the case of Israel.”

“For no other country he would criticize or ask to boycott its goods or academics. And this for one simple reason: Because Israel is the state of the Jewish people, not more and not less,” Gelbart said.

This must be a typo; no doubt MacGregor really just mistranslated "Zionist," a word not coined until decades later.

Today's Arabs and Muslims are equally clear that they are only against Israel and not Jews. Here's a perfect example of a Muslim preacher, whom I quoted on Friday, who takes pains to make the distinction (I help him out, in case anyone could misintrepret his words.)

Servants of Allah, let us be aware that our struggle with the Jews (Zionists) is one of faith, identity, and existence. Read the Koran, where Allah says: “Never will the Jews (Zionists) or the Christians (Zionists) be satisfied with you until you follow their creed,” so that you may know what the Jews (Zionists) conceal within their hearts.

Read what Allah says: “Strongest among men in enmity to the believers you will find the Jews (Zionists) and the polytheists,” so that you may know the magnitude of their enmity towards the Muslims, and their hatred towards the followers of the Prophet Muhammad. These people...

Brothers and sisters, you should read history books, so you my know the history of this people (Zionists) , and so you may know that the Jews (Zionists) of the past were evil, and the Jews (Zionists) of today are even worse.

They (Zionists) are ungrateful, they (Zionists) distort the word [of Allah], the (Zionist) worshippers of the golden calf, the (Zionist) slayers of the prophets, the (Zionist) enemies of the divine prophecies, the (Zionist) scum of mankind, who incurred the curse and wrath of Allah, and (Zionists) whom Allah transformed into apes and pigs and into taghut worshippers.

You just have to be smart enough, like Gutman evidently is, to read between the lines.

UPDATE: I had forgotten about this little treatise which is really all you need to know on the matter. It's an entire e-book, so it is pretty comprehensive. (h/t Brian)

French children's magazine Youpi published this in its latest edition. The translation is "We call these 197 countries state...

Hasbys!

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